Folding machine



P 1935- c. A. HARLESS ET AL 2,014,933

FOLDING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1933 A ATTO RN EY E Patented Sept. 17,

2,014,933 FOLDING MACHINE Charles Alonzo Hal-less and Fred G. Tuttle, Oak Park, Ill., assignors to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 1'7, 1933, Serial No. 661,283

16 Claims. (Cl. 271-80) The present invention relates to folding machines and more particularly to a novel and improved delivery mechanism for delivering products from a high speed rotary printing press.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

The single figure of the drawing is a side elevation of an illustrative embodiment of the invention in which certain of the parts are shown diagrammatically, and others have been omitted for the sake of clearness.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved delivery mechanism particularly adapted for the delivery of newspapers or other folded products at extremely high speeds. Another object is the provision of such a mechanism by which the products are delivered more uniformly on the delivery belt. Still another object is the provision of an improved delivery mechanism in which the prodnets are deposited on a delivery belt, by means of a rotary delivery fly, the fly and belt moving in the same direction at the point of delivery. 5 In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention the products are delivered completely folded by means of a pair of folding rollers cooperating with the usual folding cylinder and blades. The folded products are moved downwardly and into a pocket of a rotating delivery fly, the pockets of which are formed substantially circumferentially of and concentric with the fly or on a very slight spiral. As the fly rotates, the products are lowered, their folded edge leading, and come into contact with a stationary stop which stops each product in its forward motion or retards it to the speed of the delivery belt and thereby releases it from the rotating fly pocket. The central portion of the products is pushed downwardly by the outside of the next succeeding blade and the products are laid on a moving delivery belt, moving in the same direction as the products in the fly.

I In the illustrative embodiment, guide means are provided cooperating with the open ends of the products to retain the products within the fly pockets during their movement from the folding rollers to the delivery belt. As embodied, 5 this guide comprises concave guide members, spaced slightly from the ends of the fly pockets and substantially concentric with the delivery fly, the guides extending from the folding rollers almost to the delivery belt, and of uniform curva- 10 ture throughout substantially their entire length. These guides may be rigidly mounted, but are preferably automatically released to prevent damage to the mechanism should an accumulation of paper occur between the fly and the guides. 15

Suitable counting means are also provided, and for this purpose the illustrative embodiment includes a second stop, in advance of the first stop, this second stop being adapted to be moved into operative, product-engaging position by means of 2 suitable mechanism so that every twenty-fifth or fiftieth product is displaced from its normal, uniform position on the delivery belt.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restricted thereon.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, the delivery mechanism is shown as adapted for. use with a conventional type of rotary, newspaper folding mechanism including a folding cylinder 10 having folding blades ll, adapted to fold a printed product, which may or may not be collected, between the pair of folding rollers l2. Folding rollers l2 are driven in the usual manner and feed the product downwardly, folded edge leading, into the delivery mecham'sm.

The delivery mechanism includes a rotary fly 4a which comprises a plurality of side-by-side discs l5 mounted on a rotary shaft 16, and rotated thereby. Discs l5 have secured to them a plurality of fly blades H which, together with the discs l5, form product-receiving pockets I8 around the periphery of the discs. The outer face of blades I! are preferably substantially concentric with the fly-shaft l6 while their inner faces are tapered to conform to an involute spiral, making the pockets very slightly spiral, narrower at their leading end, and closer to the center of the fly at their forward end than at their open ends.

Immediately below the rotary fly is a series of side-by-side delivery belts 20, running over idler rollers 2| and 22, and positioned closely adjacent to the fiy blades l1. Roller 22 is mounted in pivoted arms 23 and may be moved up and down to raise or lower belts 20, also serving to hold the belts against flapping as the folded products are laid on it in rapid succession.

Means are provided for holding the trailing edges of the products closely adjacent to the delivery fly, thereby preventing the rear portion of the products from being bent outwardly by centrifugal force, and for this purpose concave guides 25 are provided which are mounted to one side of the delivery fly and spaced slightly therefrom. 'These guides 25 are preferably of a length sufficient to extend from the folding rollers I2 almost to the delivery belts 26 and are of a uniform curvature throughout substantially their entire length, being substantially concentric with the delivery fly shaft l6.

Guides 25 are preferably supported on arms 26 depending from and pivoted on a shaft 21 which is mounted in side frames (not shown). Extending away from arms 26 and shaft 21, are arms 26 formed integrally with arms 26, and each arm 26 is provided with a pair of resilient clamping fingers 29 adapted to grip a rod 30 extending from one side frame to the other. Clamping fingers 29 normally hold the guides 25 in the position shown in the drawing, but should an accumulation of paper occur between the fiy and guides, the fingers 29 would be released from rod 30, permitting the guides to move away from the fiy before any damage occurred.

Means are provided by the present invention for removing the folded products from the fly pockets at a definite point and for laying their middle portion first on the delivery belts. For this purpose, a plurality of similar stops 32 mounted side-by-side between discs l5, extend into the space between the discs, and are supported on a rod 33 mounted in the side frames. The portion of stops 32 adapted to contact with the folded edge of the products comprises a straight surface 34 extending more or less parallel to the delivery belts 20 and set at a slight angle with respect to the pocket-forming fly blades l1. As the products are moved by the fly and approach delivery position, the folded edge contacts with the stops 32, slowing the product to delivery belt speed, with its front edge supported by the blades l1 and its rear edge supported by the guides 25, permitting the central portion of the product to drop first onto the belts 20. This action permits the air to be expelled from beneath the products, preventing sidewise slippage of the products. On further movement of the fly, the blades I1 are withdrawn past the folded edge of the product, and the product is forced against the delivery belts by means of the outer faces of the next succeeding set of blades l1, moving the product slightly forward due to the movement of the belts 26 and blades I1, and is thereby released from the guides 25. I

Means are also provided for indicating every twenty-fifth or fiftieth product, so as to facilitate counting of the products as they are distributed, and for this p rpose a second stop or series of stops is provided in advance of the' stops 32. This stop comprises 9. depending finger 35 formed at the forward end of arm 36, which is pivotally mounted on shaft 31 and is connected to crank 36 so that the finger 35 may be raised and lowered from operative position. A

slowly rotated counter or cam disc 36 is driven by the press proportionately to the rotation of the delivery fly, and is provided with an operating portion adapted to raise cam roller 46 on bell crank 4| against the tension of spring 42. Bell crank 4| is connected with crank 36 by means of rod 43, so that in its raised position, finger 35 is projected into the path of the folded edge of a product and displaces that particular product from its normal position on delivery belts 20. Finger 35 is normally held in raised or inoperative position by means of spring 32, but is lowered once each time a predetermined number of products has been delivered.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What we claim is:-

I. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt and a rotary fly for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction, and a stop cooperating with fly to remove the products therefrom and insure uniform positioning of the products on the belt.

2. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of -pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt and a rotary fiy for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said fly and belt moving in the same direction at the point of delivery, a stop projecting into the path of the products for removing them from the fly and positioning them uniformly on said belt.

3. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly having substantially concentric pockets for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction at the point of delivery, and a stop substantially tangential to but slightly within the periphery of said rotary fly for removing products from said pockets and laying them uniformly on said belt.

4. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fiy having substantially concentric pockets for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fiy moving in the same direction at the point of delivery, a stop for removing products from said pockets and uniformly positioning them on said belt, a periodically actuated stop for displacing products from their normal position on said belt and a concave guide, substantially concentric with said fiy, and extending from said rollers to said belt for retaining products in said pockets until they are delivered.

5. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly having substantially concentric pockets for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fiy moving in the same direction at the point of delivery, a stop for removing products from said pockets and uniformly positioning them on said belt, 75

and a concave guide, concentric with said fly and extending from said rollers to said belt for retaining products in said pockets until they are delivered.

6. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly having substantially concentric pockets for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction at the point of delivery, a stop for removing products from said pockets and uniformly positioning them on said belt, a concave guide, substantially concentric with said fly, and extending from said rollers to said belt for retaining products in said pockets until they are delivered, and means for supporting said guide adjacent to said fly including an automatic releasing clamp.

7. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly for receiving products from the folding rollers and depositing them on the belt and a guide contacting with the trailing edge or the products and extending from the folding rollers to the belt.

8. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly for receiving products from the folding rollers and depositing them on the belt and a guide concentric with said fly throughout substantially its entire length and contacting with the trailing edge of the products and extending from the folding rollers to the belt.

9. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly for receiving products from the folding rollers and depositing them on the belt and a guide concentric with said fly and. spaced slightly therefrom and contacting with the trailing edge of the products and extending from the folding rollers to the belt.

10. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt, a rotary fly for receiving products from the folding rollers and depositing them on the belt and a guide contacting with the trailing edge of the products, and means for holding said guide in operative position including an automatically releasable resilient clamp.

11. The method of delivering folded products at high speeds whichincludes moving a product rapidly about a fixed center while supporting its leading and trailing edges, laying the central portion of said product on a moving delivery belt and thereafter releasing the edges of said product.

12. The method of delivering folded products at high speeds which includes moving a product rapidly about a fixed center while supporting its leading edge in a rotary pocket and its trailing edge against a flxed guide, stopping said product and laying its central portion on a moving delivery belt and thereafter freeing said edges from said pocket and guide to permit the rest of said product to drop onto said belt.

13. In a deliverymechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt and a rotary fly for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction, a guide substantially concentric with said fly for supporting the trailing edges of the products until they are laid on the belt, a support for the belt movable toward and away from the fly and positioned directly beneath the fly.

14. In a delivery mechanism for high speed and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly,

moving in the same direction, a guide substantially concentric with said fly for supporting the trailing edges of the products until they are laid on the belt, a roller for the belt beneath the fly and movable toward and away from the fly for varying the distance between the belt and fly.

15. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt and a rotary fly for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction, a stop substantially tangential to the fly and extending in the general direction of the belt, a roller beneath the fly and mounting means for permitting raising and lowering the roller with respect to the stop for varying the distance between the belt and stop.

16. In a delivery mechanism for high speed folding mechanisms, the combination of a pair of folding rollers, a moving delivery belt and a rotary fly for receiving products from said rollers and laying them on said belt, said belt and fly moving in the same direction, a stop substantially tangential to the fly and slightly inclined toward the belt and a belt support beneath the fly and positioned directly beneath the belt at the point where it is closest the stop.

CHARLES ALONZO HARLESS. FRED G. TU'I'I'LE. 

